Prominent academics file petition in IHC over discrimination

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to review a petition submitted by distinguished professors from Pakistan’s foremost universities. The petitioners are advocating for the enforcement of the Tenure and Track System (TTS) and suitable compensation, local media reports said on Sunday.

Filed by 166 renowned faculty members nationwide, the petition calls for measures to prevent brain drain and safeguard the future of higher education in Pakistan.

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“Inaction from the Finance Division is severely harming educators. If their concerns are not addressed promptly, it will negatively impact academic and research activities at universities,” stated Dr Sadia Masood.

“The government must recognise its obligation to support highly qualified educators, who comprise 8 percent of the university teaching staff, and keep them motivated,” she added.

The TTS was introduced by the government in 2007 with the objective of enhancing educational quality, recruiting highly qualified teachers, promoting a research culture, and assisting students. The TTS guarantees a 35 per cent salary differential compared to the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) provided to other teaching staff. However, over time, TTS faculty have been receiving lower pay than their BPS counterparts.

A task force was established to create a policy that attracted around 4,000 PhD holders, primarily foreign-trained, to join the government’s educational initiative. Additionally, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) launched a faculty development programme, offering scholarships for advanced studies, including PhDs. An agreement mandated that scholarship recipients return to Pakistan and serve for at least three years upon completing their studies.

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Since 2007, salary and package revisions for these educators have occurred only three times in 17 years. Initially offered attractive packages, these benefits are no longer competitive, with no clear resolution in sight.

In 2021, the Finance Division, through the HEC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) guaranteeing that TTS salaries would remain 35 per cent higher than standard pay structures. After exhausting all other avenues, including parliamentary committees, the educators have now turned to the IHC in a final bid for resolution.